Autographic register.



W. N. BOLLER.

AUTOGRAPHIO REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 1908.

1,090,905; Patented Mar. 24, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHBET 1'.

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to; X WITNESSES Q}? I INVENTOR wmsss W. N. BOLLER.

AUTOGRA'PHIG REGISTER. APPLICATION FILED DEO.11I 1908.

1,090,905. nted Mar. 24, 19M

3 SHEETS+SHEET 2.

W. N. BOLLER.

AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER.

APPLIOATION FILED D20. 11, 190B.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

I INVENTOI? m B) e Q a mrm QM.

w n. a mm \a ww pivrrno srarns -lPATlEN'l OFF-Mitt WILLIAM N. ROLLER, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO .AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1908. Serial No. 466,944.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM J. BOLLER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident ,lading, sales" slips,and.the like. They comprise as a rule a casing within which are mounted suitably printed rolls of paper each roll comprising a series of usually consecutively numbered invoice blanks, or such other printed forms as may be desired. The strips from the rolls are brought together in a suitable manner and jointly pass over a suitable plate or platen at the top of the'device, Where the upper sheet is exposed for the purpose of writing thereon, and between the strips are placed carbon sheets, or other suitable transferring medium, whereby the writing upon the exposed face of the top strip is autographically transferred to the strips immediately below the same and above said plate or platen.

Itwill be apparent that there are a number of requirements which are essential for the proper and satisfactory operation of the device Inasmuch as each of the strips comprises a plurality of printed forms, it is ob vious that these forms, when brought into position for the Writing operation, must register with each other; the distance through which the ends of the strips are withdrawn, prior to detaching the end portions thereof which have been written upon, must be regulated to a nicety, otherwise the next succeeding form would not be in proper position; and the device should be so constructed that quick and easy access may be had to the interior thereof, among other purposes for that of replacing the paper rolls ,when they have become exhausted.

In connection with means for insuring registration between the superposed and corresponding forms on the several strips, it will be apparent that suitable retarding means should be provided in connection with the rotating rolls, in order that the paper may not feed too freely or be unequally tens1oned.

My invention contemplates the provision of a register which will satisfy the above and other requirements, and has for a further object to generally simplify the construction of a device of this character and -cheapen its cost without sacrifice of efficlencv or durability, and to otherwise insure satisfactoryoperation thereof even in the hands of a careless or unskilled attendant.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specificatic-n. in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the device, on a reduced scale, with the hinged top member or cover of the casing thrownback or removed; Fig. 4 is a top plan view with the ends of the strips withdrawn; Fig. 5 is a sectional side view, on the same scale as Fig.

1, of the withdrawing device; Fig. 6 is a section taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a section taken substan tially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 is a partly central sectional plan view of one of the paper roll spools. with part cut away.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have shown a suitable frame or casing comprising a base 11 carrying the'side members 12 and 13 to which is suitably secured the top plate 14. Each of the side members 12 and 13 is provided with a plurality of grooves or sockets preferably three to receive the ends of the axles of a correspond; mg number of spools or cores upon which Fig. 8. I provide a fixed axle 18 at one end thereof, the other end being provided with a socket 19 in which the loose axle 20 recip roe-ates through a limited distance, an interior spring 21 subjecting said axle 20 to a yielding force which tends to hold the same in its most projected position. It will Patented 2112241914.

l ity to the upper face of the bar 29. It will be apparent that this spindle or spool may be very readily mounted or removed from the casing, the axle being retractable beyond-its normaloperative position, whereby this roll may be forced downwardly between the side members 12 and 13, the axle 18 being first seated and the other axle 20 snapped into place when properly positioned. In addition to facilitating the mounting and removal of the rolls, this construction, due to the action of the spring 21, creates a predeterminable amount of frictional resistance, which tends to brake the roll and yieldingly hold the same against rotation, thereby preventing too rapid unwinding of the strip of paper thereon due to the momentum of the rotating roll asthe, strip is unwound.

At one of the upper ends of the frame are mounted the .polished cylindrical rods 22, 20 23 and 24, there being one of these rods provided for each roll of paper employed. Each strip of' paper is designed to pass around one of these rods, and even if these rods are rigidly mounted the strips will ad vance with but very little frictional resistance. I prefer, however that these rods be suitably journaled' in'the side members 12 and 13 as shown, and thereby constitute idler rollers to change the direction of movement of the printed strips.

Underneath the top plate 14 and at the side edges thereof, are provided the angle bars 25 and 26, providing guideways and slide bearings for the rods 27 and 28 which are connected at their outerends by the crossbar 29. Mounted upon said cross-bar 29, to be held at a slight distance above the same, is the corresponding bar 30, these bars 29 and 30 constituting a substantially single member with a slot or groove 31 extending longitudinally thereof. At the correspond-. ing end of the top plate 14, and held but a slight distance above the same, is the bar 32, similarly providing a fixed member having the slot or groove 33 therethrough, both of these slots or grooves 31 and 33 being of suflicient length to receive the lips of papers from the rolls, which are designed to pass therethrough. On the under side of the bar 32 is provided a longitudinal recess 34 at one end of which is mounted the spring-rod 35 having a portion 36 yieldingly pressed against the plate 14 and terminating in an upwardly projecting portion 37 which passes through an aperture 38 in the bar 32 and has a button or small handle 40 mounted on the end thereof, whereby the pressure of the spring against the plate 14 may be relieved when desired.

Upon the bar 30' are mounted the lugs 41 41 in which are journaled the pivots of an operating handle 42, the lower end of A which projects through a suitable slot 43 in said bar 30 and terminates in close proximbe apparent that this handle 42 has an exceedingly limited pivotal movement through anare determined by the width of the slot 43 and the play therein of the lower por tion 44 of the handle 42. It will be furthermore apparent that this lower portion 44 of the handle 42, being slightlyoffset from the vertical plane through the pivot bearings, will, through a slight rocking movement of said handle 42, have a corresponding reciprocating movement in a vertical direction, whereby, when said handle 42, normally grasped and operated by the top thereof, i forced-to the left (referri now to Fig. 1) the edge of the lower portion 44 of said handle will be firmly pressed against the top face ofthe bar 29, whereas, when said handle 42 is grasped and forced to the right, the edge of the lower portion 44 thereof will be raised clear of said bar 29.

In order to positively limit the distance of reciprocation of the rods 27 and 28, I mount upon the interior of the frame, and preferably upon the guide-ways 25 and 26, a pair of inwardly spring-pressed detents 45 and 46, adapted to cooperate with notches 47 and 48 in the sides of the rods 27 and 28. It will be apparent that these rods will slide freely in their guide-ways until the detents 45 and 46 are forced into the notches 47 and 48, respectively, whereupon further outward movementof said rods or bars i checked. The detents are so constructed, however, and the faces 49 and 50 of the notches are so inclined that while further outward movement of said rods or bars 27 and 28 checked by said detents, the latter do not interfere with the return of said rods to their normally retracted p'ositlon.

It will now be apparent that with three rolls of printed strips provided, mounted as indicated in Fig. 1, the strip 51 from the roll 52 may be passed around the rod or roller 22, over the plate 14, through the slot or groove 33 between the bar 32 and the plate 14, and through the slot or groove 31 between the bars 29 and 30. To pass the paper through the opening 33, the springs rod 35 may be raised by means of the but- 1 5 ton 39, and the handle 42 operated to permit the passage of the strips through the slot or groove 31. Similarly, the strip 53 from the roll 54 passes around the rod or roller 23 and similarly over the plate 14 and the su- 2o perposed portion of the strip 51 thereon, and through the opening 33 and the slot or groove 31. Similarly, the strip 55 from the wall 56 passes over the rod or idler roller 24 and correspondingly over the plate 14 and the strips 51 and 54 thereon, and with such strips through the opening 33 and the slot or groove 31. These strips being correspondingly printed, they are now to be adjusted so'that the printed forms thereon register with each other.

This being done and said printed forms I which are superposed upon the top plate 14,

in uniformly registered condition as. the forms are withdrawn and detached.

Upon one of the side members of the frame or casing (preferably the member 12, as shown) I mount a supplemental casing 57, this casing 57 substantially providing what may be termed a semi-cylindrical trough within which may be laced a roll 58 of carbon or other manifol ing sheets, of which there is one less in number than the number of paper strips. One of these manifolding sheets is carried transversely across the top plate 14 between the paper strips 51 and 53, and the other is similarly carried between the paper strips 53 and 55.

Preferably.pi-voted at the outer end of the trough or supplementary casing 57 is the top plate or cover 59. This top plate or cover is adapted to swing down over the top of the device and forms a cover for the trough 57 and a protection for'the paper strips which pass over the top of the plate 14. This plate or cover 59 is further provided with a depending edge 61, and is designed to be suitably latched in its closed position, preferably by means of the aperture 62 in the depending edge 61, coperating with the spring catch 63 on the side member 13. A small knob or handle 64 may be provided to facilitate the raising and lowering of this cover. This top plate or cover 59 is cut away throughout a portion thereof to form an opening 65 which corresponds as nearly as possible in size to the size of the printed form on the top strip 55. The entire top of the device is therefore covered and protected with the exception of that portion of said top strip which contains the printed form, this form being accessible for the purpose of writing thereon. The. three strips of paper 51, 53 and 55 being super osed, with suitable carbon or other inani olding sheets therebetween, and the plate 14 forming-a smooth and hard writing surface, it will now be apparent that in the usual manner the marks or characters written upon the top sheet 55, will be auto- "graphically transmitted to the underlying sheets 53 and 51, respectively.

Under normal conditions, when ready for operation, the parts of the device are positioned as indicated in Fig. 1. When a sale is made, or necessity otherwise arises for the provision of duplicate or triplicate documents, the salesman or clerk writes upon the exposed printed form, filling in the de- 'sired blanks, simultaneously providing the same written matter upon the duplicate and triplicate sheets in the manner explained. The form having been properly filled out, the handle 42 is grasped and pressure is directed thereon in a direction away from the device. It will be apparent that the first eflect of the exercise of this force upon the top of the handle 42, will be to impart slight pivotal movement to said handle, which causes the lower portion 44 thereof to tightly grip all three paper sheets between said portion 44 and the bar 29. Theresecured moves away from the machine, the rods 27 and 28 sliding in the guideways 25 and 26, the end edges of .all three superposed paper strips being tightly gripped, these three strips will be drawn along with the moving member, simultaneously unwinding from their rolls, until the notches 47 and 48- reach the detents 45 and 46 and further movement of said member is checked. The form which has been written upon has now been withdrawn from the device (although still within the sliding frame) and a new blank form properly positioned for the next succeedmg writing operation. Obviously, the notches 47 and 48 are so positioned that precisely the proper-length of str'ip'has been withdrawn for the device. The carbon sheets from the roll 58 are held against movement with the. paper strips, which therefore slide loosely along over and under said carbon strips which are left in position to provide the duplicate and triplicate copies of the next succeeding written form.

- The device is now in the position indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, and force may be d rected against the handle 42 to return the sliding frame to its original or retracted position. It will now be noted that when the top of said handle is moved in a direction to effect this result, it will first raise the lower portion 44 of said handle clear of the paper strips which pass above the bar 29, thereby permitting said strips to pass freely through the slot or groove 31 as the sliding frame is returned to its retracted position. The natural stiffness of the paper will, under any ordinary conditions, prevent curling or crumpling of the same, while the spring gripper 35 prevents the return of said strips into the casing. Therefore, as said sliding frame is returned to its retracted'position, the ends of the three strips which have been withdrawn from the top of the plate 14 remain projecting from the device, where they may be all three simultaneously grasped by the fingers and detached by tearing along either the bar 29 or. the bar 30, either of which forms a straight edge for this purpose... a I have referred to the top plate 14 as beingsu'itably secured to the side members 12 fore, as the member to which this handle is and 13 of the frame. Obviously, so far as thatportion of my invention which relates to the means for withdrawing the endsof the paper strips is concerned, the manner of mounting this top plate 14 is immaterial. l prefer, however, to mount the same upon a pair of bars 66 and 67 which rotate upon vice which .I have j-ust described, reside more particularly, first, in the means for providing a measured throw that is, in the provision of novel and improved mechanism for the withdrawal of precisely equal lengths of'the paper strips from the device and leaving, after each operation, the next succeeding forms properly registered and in proper position for the next operation; sec- (2nd, in the means for tensioning the rolls to prevent excessive unwinding due to momentum: third, in the means for retaining the sheets in a smooth, even, and properly registered condition for each operation; and, fourth, in providing means whereby the entire top of the device may be swung to an open position (to permit access to the interior thereof.

It is possible that in place of the three guide rods or rollers 22, 23 and 24, all three of the strips might be passed over a single rod or roller. It willbe apparent, however, as hereinbefore suggested, that as the operative diameter of the rod or roller is in- .-reased through the addition of the widths of the sheets of paper passing thereover, the movement of the sheets cannot be-maintained at a constant and equal velocity. While at first the discrepancy might be exceedingly slight, it will be apparent that it will constantly increase as the strips are withdrawn, and that ultimately perfect registration will be lost. I have found that for accurate operation it is far preferable to employ a separate guide rod or roller for each sheet. I

Many other modifications of minor details of my improvedautographic register will doubtless readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. and I therefore do not desire to limit my invention to the specific construction herein shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In'combination, with a casing and a suitable platen, of means for directing the end portions of a plurality of paper strips over said platen, a sliding carriage mounted to reciprocate from. the end of said casing, said carriage including two parallel superposed bars between which the end portions of said strips are directed the upper of said bars being slotted, and a suitable handle for reciprocating said. carriage, said handle being provided with a portion operating through the slot in the upper bar to automatically engage said strips when said handle is actuated to move said carriageaway from said casing.

2. In combination, with a casing and a suitable platen, of means for directing the end portions of a plurality of paper strips over said platen, a sliding carriage mounted to reciprocate from the end of said casing, said carriage including two parallel superposed bars between which the end portions of said strips are directed the upper of said bars being provided with a slot, a pivoted handle for reciprocating said carriage, said handle being provided with a portion which operates through said slot to engage said strips during movement of said carriage away from said casing.

3. In combination, with a casing and a suitable platen, of means for directing the end portions of a plurality of paper strips over said platen, a sliding carriage mounted to reciprocate from the end of said casing, said carriage'including two parallel superposed bars between which the end portions of said strips are directed and the upper of said bars being provided with a slot, a pivoted handle for reciprocating said carriage, said handle being provided with a portion which operates through said slot to engage said strips during movement of said carriage away from said casing, automatically releasing said strips during movement toward said casing.

In testimony of the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand in. the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM N. ROLLER.

Witnesses THOMAS H; BANON,

P. FRANK SONNEK. 

